New rules went into effect on October 31, 2020, for the management of dangerous waste pharmaceuticals, which set new requirements for Washington state health care facilities that generate pharmaceutical waste.
Updated December 19, 2023
Chemical container labeling is one of the most effective and efficient ways to communicate hazard information to your coworkers and prevent accidents and injuries.
Clear and consistent labeling that follows the Hazard Communication Standard is required in all University of Washington facilities including laboratories, shops, clinics, and other locations where personnel use, store, and transport chemicals.
Your workspace should always be ready for an inspection. The most important thing you can do to be prepared for an inspection is to keep your lab, shop, clinic, or other workspace clean, organized, and up to University of Washington standards.
The hazards: Nitric acid is a highly corrosive mineral acid and strong oxidizer used primarily for nitration of organic molecules and washing glassware or metal equipment. Nitric acid reacts violently with alcohols, alkalis, reducing agents, combustible materials, organic materials, metals, acids, cyanides, terpenes, charcoal, and acetone. It produces exothermic reactions, as well as toxic, corrosive, and flammable vapors.
Nitric acid is a highly corrosive mineral acid and strong oxidizer used primarily for nitration of organic molecules and washing glassware or metal equipment. Nitric acid reacts violently with alcohols, alkalis, reducing agents, combustible materials, organic materials, metals, acids, cyanides, terpenes, charcoal, and acetone. It produces exothermic reactions, as well as toxic, corrosive, and flammable vapors.
Updated September 25, 2024
Follow the Public Health Flowchart for COVID-19 and Respiratory Virus Symptoms if you have COVID-19 symptoms, an exposure or test positive.
All wastewater discharged to the sanitary sewer system (i.e. poured down a drain or flushed down a toilet) must comply with local, state and federal standards. Rules are designed to protect surface waters, health and safety in the treatment works, and to maintain the quality of biosolids at wastewater treatment plants.
Applicants completing an eGC1 are asked questions about quantities of hazardous materials they intend to use in their research. EH&S reviews this information to determine whether the proposed lab space is suitable for this intended purpose.
Chemical waste generators at the University have two ways to submit waste collection requests:
Directly from your MyChem inventory
From the Chemical Waste Disposal page on the EH&S website
On February 26, EH&S will be offering a webinar on lab safety and compliance for department staff who support researchers and principal investigators at the UW.
This training is designed for administrators, but it is open to all UW staff who do not work in a laboratory setting. The course provides background material on regulatory, policy and permit requirements, and addresses hazards and risk assessment in the laboratory to ensure lab safety and compliance.
